Drive mechanism for shaker conveyers



E. RjBERGMANN- DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SHAKER CONVEYERS Jue 2, 1942.

Filed Jan. 2s, 1941 Invmron A i .Ew/M 7.ef`gmcmn BY cem@ i P Arfongesr Patented June 2,k 1,942

DRIVE MECHANISM Fon SHAKER I coNvEYERs Ernst R. Bergmann, Evergreen Park', Ill., assgnor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationJanuary 23, 1941', Serial No. 375,607

` s claims. (c1.- 19a- 220) This invention relates to improvements in drive mechanismsfor shaker conveyers and more particularly relates toimprovements in `supporting Said drive mechanism may be of any usual type and is Vherein preferably shown as including va means for a driving'trough of a shaker conveyer trough line on the conveyer drive mechanism.

Heretofore the driving troughs of shaker conveyer Atrough lines have been supported on the Such a support is objectionable in that it causes an upward movement of the driving trough during each stroke of the conveyer. This placesV undue fstresses on this trough and the other troughs on the trough line and their connecting bolts, causing breakage of the troughs and bolts, and likewise increases the load on the drive mechanism. Y Driving troughs also have formerly been supported on guide frames. frames are heavy reciprocably movable frames with a central guide, forV guiding the frame against lateral displacement. f Such frames, however, must be mounted on heavy frameworks separate from thedrive mechanism, and be securely held in `place by means of jacks or the like.'

` The principal objects of my invention are to remedy thesedifliculties by providing a simplied mounting and guiding means for a driving` trough of a shaker conveyer Atrough-line on the conveyer Y upperv ends of a plurality of parallel'rocking arms.

These guide A casing II having a rocking shaft I2 journaled thereinadja'cent one end thereof andprojecting from opposite sides thereof. `A pair of rocking arms I3, I3 are mounted on opposite ends of said shaft and are connected with a driving. trough I4 of a shakerY conveyer trough line, by means of driving' links I5, I5. Said driving links are pivotally connected between the free ends of said rocking arms and clevis members I3, I5, which are pivoted to opposite ends of a connecting bar I1 by means of vertical pins I8, I3. Said connecting bar'is herein shown as extending beneath and projecting 'laterally from opposite sides of said driving trough section in a plane disposed.

closely adjacent the center of forces on said trough section. A motor I9 `is-provided to reciprocably drive said rocking arms through suitable reduction gearing and through a suitable `system of links and levers of awell known'type.

drive mechanism, so arranged as to permit thev trough to be driven by the drive mechanism in the plane of the trough line, and to eliminate vertical movement of the driving trough with respect Vto the trough line, during reciprocation Other objects of 'my invention Will appear from time to timeas `the following specication proceeds and with reference tothe accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a shaker conveyer drive mechanism having a driving trough of the trough line mounted thereon in accordance with my invention, with certain parts of the drive mechanism broken awayand certain other parts shown in section, in order to more clearlyA illustrate certain details of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail'view showing a part of the driving trough in plan'with certain parts of said troughbroken away and certain parts of the supporting means therefor in horizontal section; and

Figure 3 isa fragmentary transverse sectional View taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now in particular to the drawing, a shaker conveyer drive mechanism generally indicated by reference character vIIJ is provided.

Said gearing and linkage'arrangement `are not herein shownor described since they form no `part of my-present invention;

Referring now inparticular to the novel form of supportingconnection for the driving trough I4 on the casingfor the drive mechanism, a bracket 2i) is detachably mounted on an end wall 2l` of said drive casingby means of nuts and bolts 22, 22. vided tothe inside of said end wall, to permit ac cess to said bolts. Said bolts are adapted to register with any one of a plurality of apertures 23,

23 formed in said end wall and bracket, to permitv verticalV adjustment 4of saidbracket.l Said bracket includes a' pair of laterally spaced upright arms `25, 25 havinga shaft`26 mounted thereon, which forms a pivotal support for a ball and guide frame generally indicated Vby 4reference char- 'acter 21. l Y

Another ball frame 29 is provided adjacent the end of said drive mechanism opposite from the ball frame 21. lSaid ball frame is mounted on a transverse shaft 30 supported in a bracket 3|, secured to an end Wall 32 of said casing opposite from the end Wall 2|, by means of ynuts and studs generally indicated by reference character 33. A plurality of apertures 34, 34 are provided in said bracket, and a plurality of threaded apertures 35, 35 are provided in said end wall 32 of said casing, to permit vertical adjustment of said bracket.

The ball frames 21 and 29 are each of a sim- `ilar construction, so a description of one will An opening (not shown) is proare herein shown as being of a semi-cylindrical form, and are adapted to form lower inner races for a plurality of balls 45), 40. The upper outer races for said balls are formed from 2, pair of longitudinally extending semi-cylindrical members 4|, 4|, facing the races 39, 39 and adapted to engage the balls 48, 40 so that said balls may support said upper races on said lower races for reciprocable movement with respect thereto. Said upper races are connected together by a cross frame member 43, adapted to have the bottom of the trough I rest thereon. Said cross frame memberis secured to said trough by means Vof depending angles 44, 44, secured to the underside of a lower shouldered portion 45 of said trough. The depending legs of said angles have vertical llegs of angles 46, 45 secured thereto. The horizontal legs of said last mentioned angles have the cross frame member 43 secured thereto by-means of suitable nuts and bolts'l, t1 (see Figure 3) The ball frames 21 and Z thus form antifriction supports Vfor the trough I4 on the drive mechanism It, and guide said trough against lateral displacement and permit said trough to reciprocate in the plane of the trough line, without raising and lowering the driving trough of the trough line during reciprocation of the conveyer, which forms a simplified self-contained mounting for the drive mechanism on the drive casing, which is adjustable for varying angles of inclination of the trough line, and which reduces the strains on the-driving trough section and the other trough sections of the trough line and reduces the power required toV reciprocably drive the trough line. i

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my vinvention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specinc embodimentV illustrated, excepting as it maybe limited inthe appended claims.

I claim as my invention: Y 1. In a Ysupport for a driving trough section of a shaker'conveyer and in combination with a shaker conveyer drive mechanism having a casing, drive means connecting said drive mechanism with said driving trough section, for reciprocably driving said trough section, and means for adjustably supportingv said driving trough section on opposite ends of said casing Yto conform to the conveyer trough line and for reciprocably guiding and holding said driving trough section from lateral and vertical displacement in al1 positions of adjustment of said trough section with respect to said casing and said drive means during reciprocation thereof 'including a pair of transversely pivoted ball vsaid drive Vmechanism with said driving trough section, for reciprocably driving said trough section, and means for supporting said driving trough section on opposite ends of said casing to conform to the plane of the conveyor trough line and for reciprocably guiding and holding said driving trough section from lateral and vertical v`displacement in all positions of adjustment of said trough section with respect to said casing and 'said drive means during reciprocation thereof, including a pair of bracket members projecting forwardly and rearwardly of said casing and a pair of longitudinally spaced ball frames secured to the bottom of said driving trough section and transversely 'pivoted to said bracket members.

3. In a support for a driving trough section of a shaker conveyor and in combination with `a shaker conveyor drive mechanism having a casing, drive means connecting said drive mechanism with said driving trough section, for reciprocably driving said trough section, means for adjustably supporting said driving trough section on opposite ends of said casing to conform to the plane of the conveyor trough line and Yfor reciprocably guiding and holding said driving trough section from lateral and vertical displacement in all positions of adjustment of said trough section with respect to said casing and drive means, during reciprocation thereof, in-

cluding a pair 'of transversely pivoted ball frames,

each of said ball frames including an upper frame member and a lower frame member, and linterengaging ball and guide members reciprocably supporting said upper frame member on said lower frame member and guiding said upper frame member from lateral and vertical displacement with respect to said lower frame member, said upper frame members being secured to the bottom of said driving trough section, and bracket members projecting from each end of sai-d casing and adjustably mounted with respect thereto and forming pivotal mountings for said lower frame members.

ERNST R. BERGMANN. 

